Mi Casa Nueva Es Su Casa Nueva

Family recipes shine at Mancelona’s new Mexican restaurant

By Jillian Manning | Aug. 10, 2024

“Authentic” is the word that restaurateur Dusty Rodriguez uses more than once when describing Casa Nueva, one of the newest additions to the Mancelona dining scene.

“We’re fresh. We’re authentic. We are very family based. And we specialize in just what we specialize in,” she says.

That means you won’t find spaghetti or hamburgers on this menu, but you will find mouthwatering recipes that the family has honed for generations. “All our recipes we’ve built ourselves,” Rodriguez says.

A Family Business

Rodriguez, who has a long history in the restaurant business in northern Michigan, is managing the restaurant on behalf of the owner and her uncle, Juan Perez. She calls the effort a true family business with “95 percent” of the staff being family—and most of the rest folks “we’ve come to adopt or they’ve adopted us” along the way.

“My kids work there, I work there, my uncle and aunt work there, my sister-in-law works there, my brother-in-law works there” and the list goes on, she says.

According to Rodriguez, keeping the business in the family has been a boon for navigating staffing challenges that many other restaurants face. And good thing, too, as Casa Nueva has been “unbelievably busy” since they opened in March 2024.

The building used to house Mustangs Pit Stop, which closed in 2021. The building was sold in 2023, and Rodriguez says the Casa Nueva team mostly had a turnkey property on their hands, with a few maintenance projects, some work on the bar to be done, and cosmetic improvements to make the space feel “inviting” and “elevated.”

It took about a year between purchasing the building and opening the doors, and that start was nearly delayed further as Casa Nueva waited for its liquor license.

“We had debated on whether to open up right away, just because we didn’t have our liquor license,” Rodriguez says, noting that they didn’t want the lack of booze to turn customers away. The license (in conditional form as they work through the final paperwork) came through in June, but the three months without alcohol hardly put a dent in locals’ enthusiasm for the new eatery.

“We decided to go ahead and open up, and almost immediately we were extremely busy. We were very thankful,” Rodriguez tells us.

A Focused Menu

That instant influx of patrons boils down to the authentic menu Rodriguez touts.

“We are from a town in Michoacán in Mexico. In Michoacan, specifically, their specialty are carnitas,” Rodriguez says of the No. 1 dish at the restaurant. “So, you know, we have a lot of experience. We know what they’re supposed to be.” Expect seasoned pork tips—tried-and-true family recipe included—alongside refried beans, pico de gallo, tortillas, and rice.

Even the rice comes by way of Mexico. Casa Nueva utilizes a Mexican food purveyor out of Chicago to help source specific ingredients like chili peppers and rice. “Our rice that comes from [that supplier] is completely different from what you would get at Meijer,” Rodriguez jokes.

Locally, stops at the Cherry Street Market in Kalkaska help supply “fantastic vegetables.” Rodriguez also says she’s working with a local farmer to source the restaurant’s tomatoes. All sauces, sides, and ingredients are prepared fresh daily.

“Literally, the only thing that comes in a bottle is salt and pepper,” Rodriguez says.

Other popular dishes include the Arroz con Pollo—a chicken and rice dish with a side of house-made cheese dip—and the Chori Pollo, which features grilled chicken and chorizo. And, of course, don’t miss the classic quesadillas, tacos, and burritos.

Rodriguez also points to the multiple styles of fajitas, from regular chicken to Fajita Rancheras (chicken, steak, shrimp, and carnitas) as must-tries on the menu. And the Chimichanga (done two ways) is a bit of an under-the-radar option that guests rave about. Meanwhile, kiddos can enjoy simple fare like a cheese quesadilla or chicken tenders.

Vegetarians will find plenty of options to sample, with veggie-focused takes on fajitas, enchiladas, and burritos, plus the Quesadilla Espinaca, a flour tortilla filled with cheese and spinach.

Dessert is kept in house with four mainstay options: carrot cake, cheesecake, flan, and chocoflan, aka a decadent, chocolatey version of the traditional baked custard dish.

An Opportunity to Grow

Casa Nueva currently operates seven days a week and offers lunch Monday through Friday with options like Taco Salad, Tostadas, Tamales, and combos like the Speedy Gonzalez—one taco, one enchilada, and a choice of rice or refried beans.

And, now that the liquor license is on the wall, margaritas can be found behind the bar. The classic flavors are all there—lime, strawberry, mango, peach—with updates to come for more creative concoctions.

If all that weren’t enough, Rodriguez says the staff is extra busy thanks to their duo of traveling food trucks, Taco Mich and B’s Greek Express (straight-outta Greece dishes taught to the family by “a very dear Greek friend”). Casa Nueva also offers catering services and is working to roll in a catering permit to their liquor license to be a one-stop shop for events.

Find Casa Nueva at 7983 US 131 NE in Mancelona.